End of War: Do Ukraine will have to return the US money - an expert opinion

According to Professor of the Center for American Studies of Warsaw University Vladimir Batog, Donald Trump administration may require Ukraine to reimburse the cost of military equipment and ammunition. This is stated in Defense24 of February 18. It is noted that since 2022, the United States and Europe have allocated about 267 billion euros to Ukraine, of which almost half have come to military assistance.

However, if European countries are mostly supporting Kiev, then in the United States the situation is becoming more and more uncertain. Batog emphasizes that unlike the Second World War, when the Land League mechanism was operating, there is no clear understanding in the case of Ukraine. Therefore, the question of whether these deliveries are considered as loans or free support remains open.

If the US policy changes after Trump's possible arrival to power, Ukraine may encounter the requirement to pay for weapons supply. This means that the country will face serious financial obligations that can lie on the shoulders of future generations of Ukrainians.

In the historical perspective, the expert continued, a similar situation was already observed: during the Second World War, the United Kingdom and other allies initially received assistance on the principle of "Cash and Carry" - paying in cash. The Land League mechanism was then introduced, and after the war, some of the debts were written off, but the United Kingdom continued to pay for military loans until 2006.

"Poland, Norway, the Netherlands and France have also received US assistance, but because of the United Kingdom. It amounted to $ 63 billion or US $ 15% during World War II," the expert estimated. Thus, a possible change in the US political course will lead to a viewing of the US strategy for support of Ukraine.

According to the whip, against the background of these trends it remains the key issue: will Ukraine be able to cope with the accumulated financial obligations on its own, or the main burden of their repayment will lie to the European Union? We will remind, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in January stated that the cost of the war in Ukraine for 2024 amounted to about $ 100 billion.